Remember Easter in 2007?
No – me neither. But I found a nice sunset picture from back then that I thought might be appropriate for a quick quota photo this evening. It’s quiet, serene, beautiful: calm.
South Africa has made it safely and quietly through two days since the death of Eugene Terre’Blanche. It’s a good start.
Life goes on, despite the supposed threats, anger and hatred.
Since my excitement over the wonderful new road-based traffic lights in Lower Buitengracht, my google ads (subtly placed all over the site for your clickthrough delectation) have been going crazy for all things cat’s eyes. The company that seems to have benefited most from this sudden new trend is NightSight LED products. It’s a niche market and I guess that these sort of ads are aimed more at technical websites in the construction sector.
You know, the sort of people who should be blogging about cat’s eyes.
In the same way, the Korean marine safety products that google put all over the post on the Fishhoek shark attack were aimed at the shipping sector and not about a commentary on someone getting eaten in Fishhoek bay. (It’s worth pointing out that none of the Korean marine safety
products advertised would have helped the unfortunate swimmer, incidentally.)
NightSight have got some really odd stuff in their 2008 catalogue (which seems to be the most recent available).
For example, what is “fibreglass nosing”?
They also have some awesome stuff: who in their right mind could resist the ”Glow Mining Helmet” or the concerningly-named “Solar Road Flares”? Not me – I’ve ordered several of each.
This company is undoubtedly the first place you should visit before your next outing to a fancy dress party dressed as any sort of robot or individual with a shiny helmet. You’ll be the talk of the jol.
I’m going to start paying more attention to google ads from now on. Obviously, I’m not allowed to click through my own (nor can I suggest that you should either), but my new aim in life (apart from the obvious world domination thing) is to find the weirdest products advertised by google ads.
I would guess, from what I’ve seen so far, that the competition will be quite stiff.
Ah. The opportunity of four days of rest & relaxation.
Ja, right.
Easter weekend used to be the time that spring started in the UK. Not this year, I hear. But while spring cleaning the garden was the norm there, I find myself doing the same here, despite the fact autumn is setting in – it was only 29°C today. While spray-painting some railings, I found time to grab some quick autumnal pics betweeen coats:
Now I find myself, tired and aching, with the only three of my sixteen jobs done. The only one that looks even vaguely like fun is “Buy Beer”. I might try and stretch that one out as long as possible, since the rest involve hard work and no beer.
Therefore, I’ll be doing a meet and greet session at Ultra Liquors in Wynberg from 8-6 tomorrow. If you’re coming along, please bring one of those KFC buckets.
Not only will the food be essential, the bucket will surely come in useful after sampling bottle store wares all day.
www.6000.co.za
UniteSA
It seems that these days, all you have to do to get a blog campaign rolling is to stick a five letter word in front of ZA or SA and Bob is the maniacal leader of your neighbouring country. It’s almost tempted me into organising one myself, which would obviously be DrinkZA. I hear that others are considering FightZA, but I’m not subscribing to that.
One that I’m happy to put my name down for is UniteSA - organised by Rob Valentine – because I think that the more sane voices that speak out at the moment, the better and thus, I agree with all that he writes below (although I am hugely disappointed that he didn’t manage to get the word “hubris” in there anywhere).
South Africa stands at a crossroads – a time in which racial tensions run high and the attention of the world is focused on us. Neither the people of South Africa nor the country itself can afford to have negativity and irrational outbursts rule our daily lives.
To that end, UniteSA is an attempt to bring people from all corners of our nation together in a call for peace, calm and rational thought.
Various ministers have called for restraint as has President Zuma – certain organisations have chosen to use this time to push a political agenda and we appeal to them to allow the authorities the chance they need to resolve the issues.
We urge the people of South Africa to express faith in the police force and the justice system at this time.
We call upon the ANC to rein in Julius Malema appropriately and urge him to behave responsibly.
We call upon the AWB to continue to act responsibly after the death of Eugene Terre’Blanche.
We call upon the National Government to plan for protection of farmers as they worry about their futures.
We express our solidarity and empathy for those who have suffered because of crime and corruption in our country.
We are far stronger united than we are apart.
Blogroll
http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/gatherer/
http://www.dreamfoundry.co.za/
http://www.6000.co.za
http://loveandpolitics.co.za
http://synapses.co.za
http://fsi.org.za
http://www.macgeek.co.za
http://www.futurechurch.co.za
http://www.robsramblings.co.za
http://antithesis.blognation.co.za
http://jhbprincess.blognation.co.za
As with any blog/social media campaign, the more noise that can be made about this, the better it will work. So please use the retweet button below as liberally as you can, visit the other blogs on the list and feel free to link to, copy or publicise this post as much as you like.
Oh – and before I go, please, please take the time to read Sipho Hlongwane’s column in the Daily Maverick on this issue, because it might just be the most accurate and most salient collection of words I have ever set eyes upon (outside this blog).
Simply brilliant.
And more: here from COPE’s Mosiuoa Lekota:
A view echoed in part by Jacques Rousseau at his synapses.co.za blog.